The race to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup™ 2026 took an interesting turn during the late evening matches of Match Day 03 on Thursday, 06 June.
Five captivating battles unfolded across the continent, with Guinea causing a major upset against Algeria in Algiers. Ghana staged a remarkable comeback to edge out Mali in a tightly contested match in Bamako.
Senegal appeared to have secured all three points at home before DR Congo snatched a late equalizer, disappointing the former African champions. Meanwhile, Egypt overcame Burkina Faso with a brace from Mahmoud Trézéguet, extending their lead in Group A of the qualifiers.
CAFOnline rounds up the 19h00 GMT Match Day 03 Thursday fixtures:
Algeria 1 – 2 Guinea
Guinea revitalized their FIFA World Cup ambitions with a crucial 2-1 away win at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers. Mortaye Sylla’s 50th-minute goal and Aguibou Camara’s 63rd-minute strike stunned the former African champions in their stadium.
Mali 1 – 2 Ghana
Jordan Ayew emerged as the hero for the Black Stars, scoring in the referee’s additional time to secure an impressive comeback victory against Mali in Bamako. Kamory Doumbia’s 58th-minute strike initially gave Mali the lead, but an equalizer from Ernest Nuamah and Ayew’s late winner ensured Ghana took all three points.
Senegal 1 – 1 DR Congo
A late equalizer from the prolific Fiston Mayele salvaged a point for the Leopards against Senegal. Ismaila Sarr had given Senegal what seemed to be the winning goal, but DR Congo’s resilience paid off as they fought back to claim a valuable point.
Benin 1 – 0 Rwanda
Benin held on to an important 1-0 win over Rwanda, which threw Group C wide open. This victory leaves Benin tied on points with Rwanda, who still occupy the top spot ahead of the crucial clash between Nigeria and South Africa on Friday in Uyo.
Egypt 2 – 1 Burkina Faso
The Pharaohs started strongly in Cairo, with Mahmoud Trézéguet scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes. Lassina Traoré scored a consolation goal for the Stallions, but it wasn’t enough. Egypt held on for their third consecutive win, maintaining their lead in Group A.
